Carton or container



June 9, 1925. 1,541,143

R. HOILE CARTON OR CONTAINER Filed Aug. 23, 1921, 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 9, 1925.

' R. HOILE CARTON 0R CONTAINER Filed Aug. 23, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 9, 192 5.

' provided in containers, and for the same features.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD HOILE, or VERONA, NEW JERSEY.

cannon on commune.

Application filed August 23, 1921 Serial No. 494,472.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD Hours, a citizen of the United States, residing at Verona, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cartons or Containers, of which the following .is a specification.

This invention relates generally to cartons or containers and more particularly to a structural feature by which an access opening may be provided through which the contents of the containermay be removed as required without unfolding or removing an entire end of the container.

Access openings for the same general purpose referred to have been heretofore general purpose, but so far as I am aware no device of this general nature has been devised which is free from objectionable Certain of these devices necessitate complicated changes in the container structure, which not only add considerably to' the cost of the container but which also include covers or closures which are difficult to manipulate. Other of these devices seriously weaken the walls of the container so that the access opening becomes accidentally uncovered under the stress of shipping or other handling with the result that thecontents of the containers are wasted.

It is an object of this invention to provide means of access to cartons or containers which are free from the objections referred to, which can be inexpensively formed, which will be secure against accidental or premature opening, and, at the same time, can be easily manipulated with out the use of special means other than the fingers of the users. v

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a v1ew in perspective of a pore;

tion of a container provided with weakening lines to determine the formation of an access opening in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the access opening already formed.

Figure 3 is a view showing the manner in which the walls of the carton are ruptured along the weakening lines and across the corners of the carton to form the access opening.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of a port on f a bl n h ch m y be folded to form a container, and showing the relation of the weakening lines to the lines of fold of the blank.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 and showing an arrangement of weakening linesfor forming an access opening at a corner of the carton.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 and showing the access opening corresponding to the weakening lines in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a View similar to Figure 4 and showing the blank and arrangement of the weakening lines for the access opening shown in Figure 6.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are similar respectively to Figures 5, 6 and 7 and show a corner access opening of still another form.

Figure 11 is a perspective viewshowing a third form of the invention.

In the drawing, a carton or container 1 is shown which is preferably of a wellknown construction formed by folding a paper or cardboard or similar blank '2 into the form of a relatively flat package. Containers ofthis general type are in common use and maybe used in the fpackaging of materials of a great variety 0 types.

The invention set forth herein has to do with the provision of an access opening shown in Figures 2, 6 and 9 by means of which large or small portions of the con-, tents of the container can be removed as,

required without the necessity for unfolding, or cutting, or tearing an end of the container.

q I succeed in accomplishing this by providing structure weakening lines or zones by perforating, scoring or otherwise treating at least two of the side walls of the container as at 3 in Figures 1, 5 and 8 of the drawing. It will be seen that the weakening lines 3 extend obliquely across the side walls 4 and 5 in Figures 5 and 8, and across the wall 4 in Figure land an, oppositely dlsposed wall 6, not shown in Figure 1 but indicated in the blank shown in Figure which is arranged to be folded to form the container shown in Figure 1. In addit on, in Figure 1 a weakening line 7 is extending substantially across the side wall 5 of the container on a level with the lower termi-- upper terminals of the lines 3, however, in each form of the invention disclosed, ex-' tend wholly to the upper margins 9 of the side walls.

The result is that a Single corner 10 of the container shown in Figures 5 and 8 is flanked by weakenin lines 3 separated by the unweakened angu ar portion 8, while the two corners 10 and.11 in the container shown in Figure 1 are flanked by the weakening lines 3 and a connecting weakening line 7,

the vertical angular portions 8 being unweakened. The weakened portion or section of the container thus-"obtained can by a simple'appropriate pressure of the fingers, as indicated in Figure 3" or Figure 1, be converted into a hinged closure 12 for an access opening 13. It will be seen that the pressure of the fingers ruptures the walls of the container along the weakening lines 3 and 7 and also breaks through the resistance offered by the unweakened angular portions 8 and that thereupon the corner portion 12 can be tilted or folded back along a line 14 extending across' the end wall 15 of the container between the upper margins of the weakening lines 3. l

A hinged closure is thus provided which can be easily moved from closed to open position or from open to closed position and which, because of the inclusion of one or w more corners in its structure is a rigidly braced member that can be readily placed in an effective closing relation to the access opening and cannot easily be distorted out of fitting relation to the opening in ordinary handling.

In Figures 4, 7 and 10 of the drawing are represented suitable blanks from which the containers shown in Figures 1, 5 and 8 can be formed. It will be seen that the weaken ing lines 3 and 7 are formed in the blanks before they are folded into container form. The lines 3 in Figure 7 are relatively short and provide the relatively small opening at the corner 10 in Figures 5 and 6. The lon er lines 3 in Figure '10 provide a larger sing ecorner opening as shown in Figures 8 an 9.

In Figure 11 of the drawing there is shown a form of the invention somewhat similar to Figure 1 but differing therefrom in the provision of weakenin lines 18 in the side walls 4 which, instead 0 being obli uely arranged, are parallel to the upper e ges '9 of the container. The short weakening lines 10 connect terminal portions of the 1:veakening lines 18 with the edges 9 of the What is claimed is:

1. In a container, means for providing an access opening comprising weakening lines partially enclosing a portion of at least three surfaces of the container, whereby the enclosed portion can be partially separated from the main body structure'and swung back along an unweakened zone to provide an access opening of less thana whole surface with a hinged closure.

- 2. In a container, means for providing an access opening comprising a weakening line partially enclosing aportion ofat least three surfaces of thecontainer, whereby the enclosed portion can be partially separated from the main body structure and swung back along an unweakened line to provide an access opening of less than a whole surface with a hinged closure, said weakening line includingone or more interruptions to prevent accidental opening of the closure.

3. In a container having end and side walls, weakening lines partially enclosing a portion of at least three surfaces of the container whereby the enclosed portion can be partially separated from the main body structure and swung back along an unweakened line to provide an access opening of less than a whole surface with a hinged closure. 4. In a container having a polygonal relatively flat formation, a corner formed by the juncture of the edges of several faces being separated from the walls on several sides and adapted to form a hinged joint on another sidewhereby the corner portion can be swung out of normal. position to form an access opening of less than a whole surface. 5. In a container having a rectangular relatively flat formation, a trihedral corner of the container formed by the juncture of the edges of several faces'being separated from the adjacent .walls on all but one side and adapted to form a hinged connection with the wall on the remaining side.

6. In a container having a rectangular relatively flat formation, a weakening lineextending around a trihedral corner of the container and being separated from the walls on several sidesto form an access opening of less than a whole surface with a hinged joint on an unsevered side.

7. In a container having a polygonal formation, weakening lines so arranged in adjacent faces of one of the trihedral corners that said corner can be swung back to provide an access opening.

8. In a container having a. polygonal formation, weakening lines so arranged in adjacent faces of one of the trihedral corners whereby. said corner can be swung back to provide an access opening with a hinged closure, and an interrupted portion included in said weakening lines to prevent accidental opening of the closure.

9. In a container, means for providing an access opening comprising a weakening line beginning and ending at the edges of one surface and extending only through surfaces adjacent to the first mentioned surface.

10. In a container, means for providing a triangular shape access opening comprising 10 a weakening line beginning and endin at the edges of one surface and exten 'ng through adjacent surfaces.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RICHARD HOILE. 

